Southern Co-op removes ‘fire risk’ disposable barbecues from sale

Southern Co-op has stopped selling disposable barbecues across its entire estate.

The society said it was a permanent decision and was made to protect local wildlife and ecosystems at a time of when they are at “greatly increased risk of fire”.

All its 199 convenience stores have had disposable barbecues removed from shelves.

“We have had a long-standing commitment to reduce our impact on the environment,” said Southern Co-op CEO Mark Smith.

“We’ve taken this additional step, to completely remove disposable barbecues from sale in all our 199 managed stores, to play our part in addressing the impacts of the extraordinarily dry conditions across the south.

“We hope our members and customers will support this important move to protect our local wildlife and ecosystems.”